Snow Crystal Block #12

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The pink and white 9″ snow crystal blocks are part of the rotation. I thought there were 13 blocks done, but there were only 11 so this is the twelfth. I have the pieces printed and cut out for another 13 blocks so I’m thinking a 25-block set and then I’ll have my pink and white quilt.


The back:

And this is what I’m thinking I’ll use for the sashing. Of course, that may change once all the blocks are done and I lay them out. It may need something stronger or even perhaps just a white or maybe a pink and white stripe.


Kaaren at The Painted Quilt has started a new feature — First Friday Freebie. The first one is a fabulous fall stitchery wall hanging or mini quilt. There’s a button you can grab for your blog as well.

Lester on the windowsill on Thursday.

And Smudge in one of the “where is the kitty’s head” poses.


Ideas

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As part of the stash organizing, I’ve been looking at fabric groupings I had in kits for various quilts which I know I won’t make. These purple and green fabrics were all together in a kit for a crazy quilt. The purples aren’t bright at all, although the greens are a bit more vibrant. I’m not sure I like them without something to brighten up the mix.

So I added in a lighter fabric with greens and purples as part of the design to see if that helped. I think this grouping would work although I have absolutely no idea of a design in which to use them. Or if I’ll use them all together in one quilt. Smudge, of course, was massively unimpressed with the whole exercise.

I think he gets almost insulted if we’re photographing anything but him!

It’s official — fall must be close. Lester was curled up in one of the kitty beds on Wednesday.


Almost Complete

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I had high hopes Tuesday evening that I could finish the Quaker a 6 Mains sampler. Thanks to a bit of unstitching necessitated by my need for remedial counting classes — well, okay, a lot more — I still have 2 motifs to finish. This has been a lot of fun to stitch. Now I’m trying to decide what to do next. The choice is between the Beatrix Potter sampler and the Mary Wigham one. I seem to have a fascination with the Quaker samplers.

This rotation of projects seems to be working well for me. I think later today I’ll work on another Harpsichord block. Thanks to Mr. Quilt Obsession who, as he had appointments in the general area, went to the LQS, I have a new black and white music print to add to the mix as well as a new tube of my favourite needles for hand piecing.

Lester in his normal spot on the windowsill on Tuesday.

And Smudge stretched out with a stuffed toy. It always amuses me how much he seems to like having a little soft toy nearby.


Patchwork of the Crosses — Two with Setting Squares

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After realizing how much nicer it will be to have added the setting octagons to the Harpsichord blocks as they’re made, and given how much I’m dragging on the POTC blocks, I decided to add the little purple squares to 2 sides of each of the framed POTC blocks now. This will give you an idea of how the setting will look — the corners where 4 blocks meet are a great opportunity for some more fussy cutting/printing. I’m getting really excited about how this top will look when it’s finally together.

One of the reasons I’m dragging on the POTC blocks is that the cream fabric I’m using for the connecting long hexagons has a painted-on stripe. Although I’m using the “wrong” side of the fabric as it’s more of a subtle stripe, I’m finding it’s slower to stitch as the needle doesn’t glide through the painted-on bits. It’s worth it in the end, as I do love the look, but never again do I buy a fabric with painted-on bits. I find that I’m now avoiding white on whites as so few of them have woven-in designs rather than painted-on ones. My needles are being disposed of after an hour or two of stitching as that painted-on design really does wear the finish off rather quickly.

Lester on the windowsill Monday. It was a very cool day, with a real hint of fall in the air although they do say we’ll have a mini heatwave by week’s end.

Smudge curled up in the chair.


Harpsichord Patchwork – Block 3

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These are starting to go together very quickly. Block 3 was done in no time. I’ve decided to add the setting octagons along 2 sides of each block as I make them. That way I won’t need to add too many at the end.


The back:


It was a chilly weekend and definitely feels and looks like fall. Sunday evening it was below 60F. I’m wondering what happened to our summer this year. We got maybe a week and a half of our normal summer heat. However, they say we’ll have a warm week once we get past today.

If you left a comment in the past couple of weeks and I didn’t respond, I apologize. I got so far behind with responding to comments that I feel like I’ll never catch up. The comments are very much appreciated and I will stay on top of them this week.

Lester in his normal window spot:

Smudge wrapped up with his lamb:


Patchwork of the Crosses – Another Framed

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Finally, another of the Patchwork of the Crosses blocks with its outer hexagons added. I learned I just need to get started on one and then I’m motivated right away to finish it off.

I have a nice little stack of the cream hexagons ready for the next few blocks and another little stack of the connecting squares that will be used when I start setting the blocks together. When I made my Quilted Diamonds quilt I used these glassine envelopes to keep the pieces for each diamond together. Now I’m using them to hold the little pieces for the POTC and for the Harpsichord Quilt.

In the reorganizing of stash, I came across this FQ. I absolutely love it and am thinking that I don’t want to cut it up at all but rather use it in its entirety in something. I’m not quite sure how I’ll accomplish that. Mr. Quilt Obsession thought it might make a great shirt.

Lester was, as usual, on the windowsill Thursday.

Smudge — in a box. An open empty box has to be investigated immediately.


Harpsichord Quilt

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The second block of the Harpsichord Quilt is done and attached to the first. I’m not planning to attach them all as I go, but was excited to see the first two joined. Thanks to a non-blog friend, Barb, I used a different music print for the centre black octagons of the second block.

The requisite number of the outer octagons will be joined to each block as I go, however. I’ve learned from the Patchwork of the Crosses blocks that leaving all the connecting pieces to the very end might not be the best idea.


The back:


I am so far behind on reading and commenting on blogs that I wonder if I’ll ever catch up. Sometime over the next 4 or 5 days, I plan to make my way through reading and commenting.

Mr. Quilt Obsession was having fun taking pictures of Smudge today. I love this one.

And this one of Lester:


Yarn Store

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Yesterday, I met a no-blog friend from out of town. We went to what I think of as the Aladdin’s Cave for knitters. It’s a store in downtown Toronto called Romni Wools, a huge store (over 6,000 sq. ft.) of yarn, pattern books, notions and just about everything a knitter could possibly want. I hadn’t been there for a number of years and was astounded at the variety of yarns available to knitters now. There was a bamboo yarn that felt absolutely fabulous. Made me wish I could still knit. It was fun to wander through the two floors and see/feel all the glorious yarns. I wish I had thought to take the camera with me!


Nothing quilt-related got done Tuesday at all. When I got home my throat was sore and I felt rather ill — all thanks to allergies. I guess the ragweed must be sky-high this year. I’m hoping that the Kona Bay fabric and maybe the black and white music fabrics arrive today. Then I can get really started on the Harpsichord Quilt.

Lester, once again on the windowsill:

And Smudge having some yogourt.


Sampler Progress

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The sampler is progressing rather rapidly at this point. I keep playing with the idea of making a pieced border and turning this into a quilt/sampler wall-hanging when it’s finished.


The bat and the first of a number of peacocks that are in this sampler were fun to do — I couldn’t help laughing at Bertie Bat.


There’s definitely a feel that fall is on the way. The light is different and the temperature is dropping quite a bit overnight. Although we’ll have a hot afternoon today, that fall feel is creeping in.

I recently found that someone had lifted a photo from my blog without asking first if it was okay to do so. I know that by blogging and posting photos, one takes that chance but it still bothers me a bit that someone would do that without at least asking if it was okay.

Lester enjoying the windowsill.


Smudge, when he waiting for his evening treat of a bit of yogourt.


Fabrics Selected

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It was unanimous — the brighter fabrics are the choices for the 7 necessary for the Harpsichord Patchwork. These are the 7 I’ve decided on.


I started organizing my fabric stash on the weekend. It’s something I’ve been putting off for ages. Friday I got some smaller plastic containers that I can actually handle and Sunday afternoon I got a good start. I’ll work at it throughout this week slowly, so as to not aggravate my hands, and hope to have everything organized and put away by the end of the week. I don’t know how much stitching will get done this week to post about, but it will be a great accomplishment to have my fabric in containers that I can actually manage rather than struggle to move around. I’d love to have my fabric on shelves but, with the dust that’s part of downtown living and the cat hair floating in the air, I don’t think that’s a good idea.

Smudge, wide-eyed and awake.


And Lester, in his normal spot on the windowsill, also wide-eyed.